After farm loan waiver, UP govt looks at waiving loans for physically challenged

Lucknow, June 14 -- The Uttar Pradesh government is mulling a loan waiver for the physically challenged on the lines of the ambitious crop loan waiver announced by the Yogi Adityanath government for farmers.
The Divyaangjan Shashaktikaran Vibhaag of the Uttar Pradesh government wants to waive pending loans worth Rs3.88 crore. "In the next 100 days, the endeavour of the department will be to waive pending loans worth Rs3.88 crore which were availed of by 6,821 divyaangjan (disabled). So far, loans worth Rs1.60 crore have been paid by them. We want to waive the loans of divyaangjan on the lines of crop loan waiver announced by chief minister Yogi Adityanath," divyaangjan empowerment minister Om Prakash Rajbhar told PTI.
At present, there are almost 2 crore divyaangjan residing in UP. "The UP government is planning to make the divyaangjan self-reliant. Efforts are being made to link them with the centre's national skill development mission. The divyaangjan are also being encouraged to start their cottage industries and gradually venture into MSME (micro, small, medium enterprises) sector," Rajbhar said.
"There is a proposal to provide battery-operated tricycle to divyaangjan. There would be provision of a trolley being attached to the battery-operated tricycle. The rider can use it sell vegetables or other items. Women divyaangjan will be provided sewing machines," the minister said.
Rajbhar also said that the financial assistance provided to divyaangjan to start their business/shops could be raised from the existing Rs30,000 to Rs1 lakh. "The state government has already increased the amount of pension from Rs300 to Rs500 given to divyaangjan. The marriage fund (for the divyaangjan) has been raised from Rs20,000 to Rs35,000. Apart from this, people's representatives (including parliamentarians, members of legislative assembly, village pradhan) have now been authorised to issue income certificates to the divyaangjan," he said.
Earlier, divyaangjan were forced to make repeated rounds of tehsil office to get income certificates. Ration card and proof of residence as documentary proof have been done away with and replaced by Aadhaar card (which contains each and every detail), the minister said.
Elaborating about another welfare measure initiated by the state government, Rajbhar said, "Till now the divyaangjan were entitled to free travel on UPSRTC (Uttar Pradesh State Roadways Transport Corporation) buses within the state only. Now, they will be entitled to travel free of cost on UPSRTC buses even beyond the geographical boundaries of UP in the entire country." The department has distributed at least 70,000 equipment to divyaangjan, he added.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from MINT.